The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Reports are a fundamental part of many organizations working towards improved business intelligence and knowledge management. There are many different ways reports can be useful. For example, reports can help to provide status, help people manage resources and make decisions, and provide information. But, report information has little value unless it is organized, aggregated, and presented in a usable form.
Many report building and designing tools, however, are cumbersome and difficult to use—especially if the user desires to see the data arranged along a new dimension. For example, the reporting tool may require specialized knowledge in computer coding. Users such as end-users and business analysts are unlikely to possess such knowledge because their area of expertise may be more business and industry focused. It can be very difficult for such users to customize reports in order to present different perspectives of the data.
Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and techniques for making reports.